my door will not open - Need help!!!!!!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 1
From: Sydney
my door will not open - Need help!!!!!!
Hi all,
I've finally got my vette.....Im speechless and wet
(wet from the drooling you sicko's!).
Anyway, I don't want to get off the topic of this thread (meaning I will post details of my car and pics etc in another thread later).
Well, heres the thing, had my car towed to a mechanic place (straight from the container storage) but he was a ****** - so I thought stuff him and I asked the tow guy to take it home .... so.... when we went to close the driver's door it wouldn't shut properly (we had this problem at the container place - but when we slammed the door it closed)...this time it wouldn't shut even if shut hard..
the tow guy kept slamming the door (
) .....my bf and I were flustered and stressed (from dealing with this mechanic that refused to look at our car cause of import paper bull**** - he was just an old idiot who didn't know the current rules...so thats why we thought stuff him!), he pulled out some regulation book from the 1950's and assumed it was still current. lol
anyway, the tow guy then said oh its your striker plate..and he fiddled with it and then my bf and him slammed the door and stuff and it got closed (not flush with the car though) so it was fine to tow back home.
So we get home, I open the door and then you know when you get a new toy I thought Id try the keys and lock the door.....
well it won't open now!!!!!!! we have unlocked it and stuff (with the keys and from inside....).....could it be caught on the striker plate?
what about power door locks, could it be a problem with that (the battery is loooooowwww/flat).
if you can help out that would be great.
I've finally got my vette.....Im speechless and wet
(wet from the drooling you sicko's!).Anyway, I don't want to get off the topic of this thread (meaning I will post details of my car and pics etc in another thread later).
Well, heres the thing, had my car towed to a mechanic place (straight from the container storage) but he was a ****** - so I thought stuff him and I asked the tow guy to take it home .... so.... when we went to close the driver's door it wouldn't shut properly (we had this problem at the container place - but when we slammed the door it closed)...this time it wouldn't shut even if shut hard..
the tow guy kept slamming the door (
) .....my bf and I were flustered and stressed (from dealing with this mechanic that refused to look at our car cause of import paper bull**** - he was just an old idiot who didn't know the current rules...so thats why we thought stuff him!), he pulled out some regulation book from the 1950's and assumed it was still current. lolanyway, the tow guy then said oh its your striker plate..and he fiddled with it and then my bf and him slammed the door and stuff and it got closed (not flush with the car though) so it was fine to tow back home.
So we get home, I open the door and then you know when you get a new toy I thought Id try the keys and lock the door.....
well it won't open now!!!!!!! we have unlocked it and stuff (with the keys and from inside....).....could it be caught on the striker plate?
what about power door locks, could it be a problem with that (the battery is loooooowwww/flat).
if you can help out that would be great.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 511
Likes: 4
From: Phoenix AZ
Try a search in the forum, I think you'll find this happens fairly often. Many times (like for me) the old latch mechanism was just gunked up from the factory grease having dried up and dust and grime over the past decades. It can be a pain to get open if they stick.
From what you discribe, Sounds like the lock levers are moving in the door, but either the lock or the latch is not in the mechanism. Similar to what happened to mine. I could unlock and relock it all day and the door would not open.
Here some things to try first. Roll the window down and take a flash light (torch) and see if you can see all the rods and mechanisms. You're looking to see if the anti theft (rain water gaurd) protection is there or not. Hope it's not. If it's not you will want to spray some PB, wd-40 or other spray lube into the latch mechanism and use a bent coat hanger down in there to help pull on the rods and mechanisms.
If the shield is in place it's tougher to get some spray lube in there. Spraying in the lock hole might help, but only if the lock is sticking. In some cses people have had to remove the inside the door panel and try to get there hands up in there to operate the mechanisms. Which is generally easier after you unbolt and remove the drivers seat. In the really bad cases I heard of people using a reciprocating saw and cutting the latch bolt off from the inside.
Any way after you get it apart, best to clean it up real good. Carful with the clips when removing all the rods and make notes on how it goes back together. It's one of those PITA jobs on the C3. Onmce I got mine out, I cleaned mine with a large can of spray enigne cleaner, I used the citrus based, works better cold, but watch out it will damage paint. I did a quick cleaning and then and detail job, After scrubbing it good I took the pan of run off put it in a large zip lock bag and soaked it over night. sprayed it out the next day, let it dry and then used spray grease to re lubricate it. Then the re-install (after buying clips I broke)
After all was done it so good I was amazed. I need to do the pass door some day before it jambs up.
Good Luck.
From what you discribe, Sounds like the lock levers are moving in the door, but either the lock or the latch is not in the mechanism. Similar to what happened to mine. I could unlock and relock it all day and the door would not open.
Here some things to try first. Roll the window down and take a flash light (torch) and see if you can see all the rods and mechanisms. You're looking to see if the anti theft (rain water gaurd) protection is there or not. Hope it's not. If it's not you will want to spray some PB, wd-40 or other spray lube into the latch mechanism and use a bent coat hanger down in there to help pull on the rods and mechanisms.
If the shield is in place it's tougher to get some spray lube in there. Spraying in the lock hole might help, but only if the lock is sticking. In some cses people have had to remove the inside the door panel and try to get there hands up in there to operate the mechanisms. Which is generally easier after you unbolt and remove the drivers seat. In the really bad cases I heard of people using a reciprocating saw and cutting the latch bolt off from the inside.
Any way after you get it apart, best to clean it up real good. Carful with the clips when removing all the rods and make notes on how it goes back together. It's one of those PITA jobs on the C3. Onmce I got mine out, I cleaned mine with a large can of spray enigne cleaner, I used the citrus based, works better cold, but watch out it will damage paint. I did a quick cleaning and then and detail job, After scrubbing it good I took the pan of run off put it in a large zip lock bag and soaked it over night. sprayed it out the next day, let it dry and then used spray grease to re lubricate it. Then the re-install (after buying clips I broke)
After all was done it so good I was amazed. I need to do the pass door some day before it jambs up.
Good Luck.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 1
From: Sydney
Originally Posted by 82Vette'ster
Try a search in the forum, I think you'll find this happens fairly often. Many times (like for me) the old latch mechanism was just gunked up from the factory grease having dried up and dust and grime over the past decades. It can be a pain to get open if they stick.
From what you discribe, Sounds like the lock levers are moving in the door, but either the lock or the latch is not in the mechanism. Similar to what happened to mine. I could unlock and relock it all day and the door would not open.
Here some things to try first. Roll the window down and take a flash light (torch) and see if you can see all the rods and mechanisms. You're looking to see if the anti theft (rain water gaurd) protection is there or not. Hope it's not. If it's not you will want to spray some PB, wd-40 or other spray lube into the latch mechanism and use a bent coat hanger down in there to help pull on the rods and mechanisms.
If the shield is in place it's tougher to get some spray lube in there. Spraying in the lock hole might help, but only if the lock is sticking. In some cses people have had to remove the inside the door panel and try to get there hands up in there to operate the mechanisms. Which is generally easier after you unbolt and remove the drivers seat. In the really bad cases I heard of people using a reciprocating saw and cutting the latch bolt off from the inside.
Any way after you get it apart, best to clean it up real good. Carful with the clips when removing all the rods and make notes on how it goes back together. It's one of those PITA jobs on the C3. Onmce I got mine out, I cleaned mine with a large can of spray enigne cleaner, I used the citrus based, works better cold, but watch out it will damage paint. I did a quick cleaning and then and detail job, After scrubbing it good I took the pan of run off put it in a large zip lock bag and soaked it over night. sprayed it out the next day, let it dry and then used spray grease to re lubricate it. Then the re-install (after buying clips I broke)
After all was done it so good I was amazed. I need to do the pass door some day before it jambs up.
Good Luck.
From what you discribe, Sounds like the lock levers are moving in the door, but either the lock or the latch is not in the mechanism. Similar to what happened to mine. I could unlock and relock it all day and the door would not open.
Here some things to try first. Roll the window down and take a flash light (torch) and see if you can see all the rods and mechanisms. You're looking to see if the anti theft (rain water gaurd) protection is there or not. Hope it's not. If it's not you will want to spray some PB, wd-40 or other spray lube into the latch mechanism and use a bent coat hanger down in there to help pull on the rods and mechanisms.
If the shield is in place it's tougher to get some spray lube in there. Spraying in the lock hole might help, but only if the lock is sticking. In some cses people have had to remove the inside the door panel and try to get there hands up in there to operate the mechanisms. Which is generally easier after you unbolt and remove the drivers seat. In the really bad cases I heard of people using a reciprocating saw and cutting the latch bolt off from the inside.
Any way after you get it apart, best to clean it up real good. Carful with the clips when removing all the rods and make notes on how it goes back together. It's one of those PITA jobs on the C3. Onmce I got mine out, I cleaned mine with a large can of spray enigne cleaner, I used the citrus based, works better cold, but watch out it will damage paint. I did a quick cleaning and then and detail job, After scrubbing it good I took the pan of run off put it in a large zip lock bag and soaked it over night. sprayed it out the next day, let it dry and then used spray grease to re lubricate it. Then the re-install (after buying clips I broke)
After all was done it so good I was amazed. I need to do the pass door some day before it jambs up.
Good Luck.
Dude! Thanks so much for your help..........my bf did the coat hanger thing and we got the door open...awesome!
We will definitly have to take the door panel off and look at the mechanism and stuff...cause I locked the door and it happened again. but we are just glad to get it open..even if we have to use a coat hanger!
Started her for the first time.......woweee...so cool...but no petrol (gas)..so Im off to the petrol station now.........
cool
Thanks again!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 48
From: westland mi
what is a "******". that happened to my drivers door w/me in it on my way to florida w/my passenger seat filled up w/golf clubs and other vacation stuff. how embarrassing everytime i had to pull into a gas station for gas. had to carefully place all the contents of pass side out the door and on the ground w/out touching sidepipes and then crawl out the pass side and fill up w/gas and then do a reverse order to take off. every 225 miles i had to do that. got to florida and found a GM dealership and a mechanic and me worked on that door for 1hr 1/2 in 90's heat till we got it open. didn't lock that door again till i got home. took panel off and checked everything and lubed it and it worked perfect everytime so put panel back on, shut door and locked it and sure enuff it wouldn't open once again. finally got it open and haven't locked that door in 6yrs and never will. good luck w/your door and yer new toy
